Darkness Falling
by That-Cullen-Hater
Summary: All things burn, eventually. She knew that better than most. She had seen what happened to everything she had known. She thought that he could save her from the burning of her world. How very, very wrong she was. He would never save a simple human. He had lost all his love for his past self hundreds of years ago. He didn't care for that which would perish from his life.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello, my lovely readers(actually, I only know one person who actually reads anything I write :(...so it should be my lovely reader…oh well.) Anywho. I has gotten the inspiration to write more fanfiction. And because there is essentially no plot for FID/ITV/AST, I has also decided that I shall start a new fanfiction. So ha. Yes, I did say "So ha." I'm weird like that.**

Darkness. It was a strange thing. It could never keep out the light, so why did everyone treat it as though there was no light in the shadows? The obvious answer was that people were stupid. But accepting that answer would be as insolent as saying that darkness was forever unlit. In other words...the dumbest plan of action one could take. There was more to it, and it was so easy to find- if only one would look. But, people being people, they always took the easy way out. Most of them, anyway.

It had always confounded them. The stupidity of humans. _They_ didn't remember being that stupid. Of course, _they_ had been alive for thousands of years. One's memory tends to fade, especially after a period of time as long as that. And, obviously, they would never admit to it. So the assumption continued- humans had become stupider the faster their population had grown. Was that the truth? Hardly. But it was easier to accept than the fact that people had always, _always_ been a group of fools, blundering about with their pitchforks and torches, trying to kill what they would not.

There were, of course, the exceptions-the ones who saw the world for what it truly was. The humans who saw that they were _not_ the rulers of their world, but rather, ruled by a superior race. But humans, being as arrogant as they were, were too blinded by their "power" to see it- the truth of their world.

No human lived forever. They knew it, but they continued to try and find the answer to immortality- the answer that was right in front of them, if they cared to look. But did they? Of course not. Humans were silly, silly things- one could easily compare them to the animals they herded. Sure, they had evolved from their past selves, into what they had dubbed "omnivores", God only knows why.

More than anything, humans confused Caius. He was stumped by their irrational behavior, and their "skills". As if sliding down a mountain on two slabs of plastic was a skill. He was confused, but more than anything, he was in awe. Not of their "brilliance" or their "ideas", but of their idiocy. "Democracy" had always failed. That wasn't how the world worked. It was ruled by those with the wealth, and the power, not by those who were "elected" into their governments.

They thought they knew the world they lived in. They thought they had mastered its secrets. They thought they ruled everything there was to rule on this damned planet. Oh, how very, very wrong they were.

Naturally, some of the humans were valuable-not for their brains, or their money-but for their power. Not that power in the form of a government position meant anything to those who controlled the shadows. No, they were far more interested in what these humans could _do_, with their minds, their bodies, and their hearts.

It was all very confusing for the humans. They had no idea what existed in their world. They didn't know of their rulers, of the kings that sat on ebony thrones, devouring their kind, one by one. How silly of them. They didn't see those who stalked the shadows, taking what they wanted, from whom they wanted, when they wanted.

A human, though they see themselves as the wolves, the lions, the _kings_...they were seen by those above them as the sheep, the cows, the _peasants_ who existed only to serve their betters.

In any kingdom, there will be the odd ones. Those who don't know their place in the true hierarchy of the world. The imbeciles who refuse to step up to their true potential, who refuse to rule those who were born to be ruled. They, of course, saw it as their duty to protect the humans from those who would offer no protection to a mundane, boring, idiotic _human_.

Were they right? Not in Caius' mind.. He _hated_, with every fiber in his undead body, the arrogant, presumptuous, and, quite frankly, _stupid_ ideals of these rebels. He saw them as the renegades who deserved to be put down like the _dogs_ they were. He was merciless, an undead king set out to destroy everything that stood in his way, even if that met killing those who claimed to be "just like him".

It is in a vampire's nature to feed on humans-to take them away from their world, rip them apart, and drain them of their lives. So why, _why_ would any rational vampire decide to throw away every instinct that had been born in them, in order to protect that which their rulers wanted? There was no answer, outside of the possibility that they simply _weren't_ in the right frame of mind.

Was that the case?

If anyone can tell a human, or a vampire for that matter, what a "rational" mind looks like, they are lying. There is no way to know.

No way to separate truth from lies, dark from light, good from evil, rational from irrational. It was one of the mysteries of the world-a mystery that no one had even attempted to solve. Not yet.

And _damn_, he wanted to burn them for it.

**Tada!**


	2. Chapter One

"Grace, are you listening to me?" Marie's voice snapped Grace out of her thoughts. The blonde looked at her friend, her face blank, and Marie sighed, "I was _saying_ that Darren invited us up to the lake this weekend, if you wanted to go. You don't have to, of course, but it would be a nice change from our dorm, don't you think?" Grace nodded slowly, not entirely sure whether or not she wanted to tag along with Marie and her boyfriend. They were great, yes, but all the same...it was _Marie_, and her boyfriend. Knowing her copper-haired from, she'd hardly see them all weekend-the pair would be locked in one of the many bedrooms at the lake house. Still, she was right. It would be a nice change of scenery.

"Sure, Marie. I'd love to. Listen, I'm going out for a bit. Do you need anything from the store?" Marie shook her head as Grace stood, grabbing her purse from the counter, "Alright, then. I'll see you tonight." She left the room quickly, as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. God. What had she just agreed to?

Grace had gotten about halfway to the store before she realized how pointless this was. She didn't need to go to the store, she was just trying to escape from the thought of the lake house. It would be a nightmare, certainly. Darren didn't know that she and Jonas had broken up. Marie hadn't told him. Oh, all the ridicule she would endure when they arrived. He would tease her for not being able to keep a man for more than a month. Marie would do nothing to stop it. Maybe she shouldn't go. Maybe it would be better if she just stayed at the dorm, had it to herself for 2 days. She could wallow in self-pity alone, rather than in a large, overbearingly clean mansion, with her best friend in the next room...without a second thought, she pulled out her phone and dialed Marie's number.

"What's up, Grace?"

"Listen, Marie, I...I don't think I will go up the the lake with you this weekend. Sorry."

There was a long silence. When Marie responded, she sounded kind of...hurt. "That's alright, Grace. I was going to head up tonight anyway. In fact, I'm leaving the dorm right now. So...I'll see you Monday, I guess."

Grace relaxed, "Thank you for understanding, Marie. I hope you and Darren have a nice time." She heard a grunt from the other end, and then a click as Marie hung up.

Great. Now her only friend was mad at her. That was just great.

It wasn't long before Grace got back to the dorm. Marie was gone. Without thinking, Grace picked up the phone, and dialed a number that she hadn't ever called. Ever.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end was familiar- Grace knew it all too well.

"Er...Jase?"

"Yeah, who is this?"

"It's...it's Grace." Her voice shook. This was a stupid idea. A very, very stupid idea.

There was a long, awkward silence. She heard muffled laughter, and nothing else for a long time. And then: "What's up, Gracie?" She could hear him smiling-smirking was probably the better term-and could practically smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Are you drunk?"

He laughed, this time right into the phone, "Am I...Gracie, you of all people should know that I'm _always_ drunk." She sighed, "How can I help a young lady today?" His tone was suggestive-too suggestive for her liking, and she very nearly hung up in that second.

"You can go jump off a bridge, Jase." He was still laughing, and it was starting to piss her off. God, why had she done this?

There was a loud crash in the background, followed by Jase swearing. Grace closed her eyes and counted to ten, before releasing her breath. "Is Marie with you? Don't answer that, I don't care." Grace rolled her eyes. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Gracie Wood." She giggled quietly, "Why'd you call me?"

She sighed, "Honestly? I don't know. I wasn't thinking. I'll just-"

"Don't you dare hang up on me, Gracie." He seemed to have read her mind, drunk as he was, "I was actually wanting to ask you something." She didn't reply, and he took that as his cue to go ahead, "Do you want to go out with me tonight? Maybe see a movie or something?"

Grace was shocked out of her silence. What the hell. Why not? She needed something to do tonight, "Um...sure?"

"Cool. I'll pick you up at 8." Without another word, he hung up, leaving Grace standing in the middle of the room, phone in her hand, stunned.

"A girl, you say?" The dark figure asked, his body hidden by shadow, "A _human_ girl?" He considered this for a second, and then burst into laughter. It was just too impossible. "You are a funny one, aren't you?"

The figure in front of him seeming insulted, "I'm not joking. She's human." He ran a hand through his dark hair in agitation.

The shadow figure paused his laughter, "You're telling me that the one we're looking for- the one we've been hunting for an eternity- is a _human_, and furthermore, a _girl_?" He raised an eyebrow, his crimson eyes flashing in the darkness, "Do you understand how stupid you sound right now?"

"I know it sounds impossible. But it's her, I'm sure of it. I could smell the power rolling off of her. And _he_ confirmed it. She has power. He doesn't know _what_, but he knows she would make a powerful vampire." He thought for a moment, before looking up at his master, "You do believe me, yes?" Worry clouded his voice. The fear would be hard to miss, even for the humans in the room.

His companion didn't speak for a long time. "Of course I believe you, Rowan. You've never once lied to me, why would you now?" Within a second, he was in front of Rowan, his hand clasped on the other vampire's head, "You _will_ find her and you _will_ bring her to me, or I swear I will kill you." Rowan's eyes clouded over momentarily, but after a pause, he nodded, face blank, and drifted from the room.

The dark vampire moved back to his previous position. He flicked out two fingers, and a young human gliding gracefully towards him, "Come here, Zaela." She moved slowly, cautiously, into his arms, and he stroked her hair thoughtfully, "If he were lying, you would tell me, wouldn't you, darling?" She nodded against his chest, but he could feel her body shaking in his arms, "Good."

There was no warning for her before she felt the sharp pain in her throat. His teeth tore the soft skin open, and the blood flowed freely, feeding the vampire as the human's head fell back. He dropped her young body to the ground, a smirk spreading over his face, "Do try to wake up soon, darling. We'll miss you until you do." The blood crept across the floor, and touched her hair, staining her light hair with its crimson color, as the venom swept through her body.

**Tada!**


	3. Chapter Two

Pissed was one way to describe the way Juliet felt right now. Others were furious, angry, upset, mad, rabid...well, she was pissed. Her fingers wrapped themselves into a fist, and she swung it at a wall. They hit with a sharp crack, and she swore. Her knuckle was bleeding from the impact, but nothing had broken. That was good.

She spat angrily. No broken bones was what she considered _good_? What the hell was wrong with her? Juliet's green eyes flashed in her anger. She paced to the other side of the small hotel room, and back, hand still clenched in a fist.

"Tell me, are you always this cheerful?" She spun around, and swore again, louder this time. The lithe was crouched on her bed, examining his fingernails. He looked up at her, dark eyes gleaming, "Juliet. I've missed you."

The girl grunted in disbelief, not moving, "What are you doing here? I thought I told you-no, I told both of you- that I don't want any of your _stupid_ vampire shenanigans in my life. Not anymore." She swung her dark hair back over her shoulder, green eyes cold as ice.

He laughed. He outright _laughed_ at her. That was enough to cause her other hand to curl into a fist, but he spoke before she had the chance. "Juliet, we've already covered this. You can't hit me without breaking just about every bone in your hand. We've also already covered the fact that I am not taking my 'shenanigans', as you say, out of your life. I enjoy your reactions too much." The vampire winked at her, before standing up and moving forward at a human pace-which was strange. Usually he flaunted his vampire speed whenever he could, "So, sweets, are we going to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

Within a second, he had her against the wall, hand on either side of her head. His eyes met hers, and held them. Of course, he knew what she was going to do. She _always_ did this the same way.

So it was no surprise when her fist came up to punch him. And it was no surprise to _her_ when he pulled away just in time, before stepping out of her reach, "I see. Have it your way, then." He pushed her lightly, but it was enough to send her flying across the room, into the other wall. Crossing the room, he grabbed her by the throat before she could move, "I don't understand you. Every time I come here, we do the same things. I give you a choice, you attack me, I threaten to torture or kill you, you tell me what I want to know. Is it that hard for you to answer my questions?" Juliet shot him a mutinous look, to which the vampire merely raised an eyebrow, "And again with the cycle."

Juliet started to laugh. She laughed until she couldn't laugh anymore, with him just standing there, confused as ever. "Fine. What do you want to know, Rowan?"

He was surprised, yes, but he let her go. The girl rubbed her throat nervously as he looked at her, "Where's Damien?"

"I don't know, do I? He never tells me where he's going, or when he'll return. You know him better than most, Rowan, and you know what he's like." Rowan growled at her, but she continued, "And furthermore, I don't know where Paige is either. They both up and vanished one morning, not bothering to tell me where they were off to."

The vampire nodded, seeming to believe her. But in the same split moment, he had her by the throat, his mouth by her ear, "Don't. Lie. You know where they are, and you're going to tell me, or I swear to God I will turn you into a vampire."

Juliet paled. If there was one weakness she had, it was becoming like _him_, and he knew it. So she complied. She didn't speak for a moment, but eventually, she opened her mouth. "They made me swear not to tell you anything." He growled against her neck, and she knew that she had about three seconds to talk. "Venice. They're in Venice."

Rowan pulled away, "See, that wasn't so hard, now was it, Juliet?" She visibly relaxed, glad to have escaped that encounter alive-and unharmed. So it was unexpected when he grabbed her arm in a vise-like grip, and whispered threateningly in her ear, "But if you're lying to me, or if you give them any clue that I'm coming after them, I will turn you. Is. That. Clear?" She nodded frantically, just wanting him to _leave_, "I'll see around, then, sweets." He pressed his lips to hers, an action that Juliet disagreed with on every level, as she tried to push him away, or turn her head, or _something_ to get him _off_.

He pulled away from her, a hard glint in his eyes. As he crossed the room, she heard him swearing under his breath, something about how he was going to end up murdering her in her sleep, before he vanished out the window.

Juliet collapsed on the bed. Oh, now she was in for it. She picked up her phone slowly, being as quiet as she could, and sent a quick text to the one person she knew would believe her.

Oh, yeah, he really was going to kill her.

Grace shifted uncomfortably in her seat. How had she ended up agreeing to this? Her back was stiff and straight, and she was fighting the urge not to _kill_ him right now. Jase had had his arm on her shoulders for this entire movie, and it was really starting to bug her. They were _not_ together.

Ah, finally, that torture was over. They stood up to leave, but he grabbed her hand as they walked towards the exit. Great. Just flippin' great. They meandered out of the theater, and into the parking lot. Before too long, they had reached his car. Grace moved to get in, but he stopped her, and pushed her against the door, "Gracie."

"Jase…?" The confusion in her voice was clear, and he relished it.

He moved closer to her, a fierce light in his eyes, "Oh, Gracie." It was too late before she realized what he was doing. His head came down, and his lips met her, working in a furious manner.

Jase pulled back to breath, and that was when Grace slapped him. "No. Jase, I can't do this. Not with you."

He hissed, and grabbed her hands, going to kiss her again, "Get _off _of me, Jase." He didn't, instead moving closer to her, in a manner that was not at _all_ appropriate.

"I believe she said to get off of her."

Both of them froze, and turned to look at the speaker. Grace couldn't make out a face, but she knew that he was no less dangerous than Jase.

She was so wrapped up in her fear, she didn't see the man grab Jase by his neck, until Jase gave a muffled cry. The newcomer had sunk his teeth into the boy's neck, and the blood ran down Jase's shirt.

Grace pressed a hand to her mouth, fighting back a scream. The man-if he could be called that-turned to look at her after dropping Jase to the ground, "Oh, no, I'm not going to kill you. Not yet, anyway." She flinched away from him as he moved to grab her, but he was too fast.

Fear clung to her like a web as they flew across the ground, and the buildings raced past them. This was no _human_. The realization struck Grace like a club to the back of the head, and she simply closed her eyes, trying to escape her thoughts. It was no use. All she saw now were the legends, the pictures of monsters who drew life from the blood of others. That about did it. All the fear, layers and layers of it, were too much for her fragile human mind. The last thing Grace saw before she passed out was the...the _vampire's_ face.

Only hours had passed since he had left, but Juliet felt as if she had been sitting there, trapped in her fear, for days on end. She had wrapped her arms around her legs as she sat in the chair, thoughts running through her head. When he found out, he would be beyond angry. She had broken his trust. What would he do? Kill her, torture her… turn her? He knew she hated the prospect of being a vampire, and would rather die than become one. Would he use that to punish her for being a traitor? Probably.

She flinched when the door swung open. But the man who stood in the doorway was not Rowan. Thank the Lord. Juliet saw what-or rather, _who_-he carried in his arms, and didn't bother asking why he had brought it-her-here. This was who Rowan was after, it had to be. The vampire broke the silence, "Rowan sends his regards." His tone was bland, monotonous. The usual for a vampire under their leader's power.

Without another word, he turned and left.

Lord, why were they always dumping their baggage on her?

Juliet watched the girl for a long time. Her hair was long, curly, blond, and held back in a loose ponytail. She wore jeans and a t-shirt, the usual for teens these days. Surprisingly enough, there was no sign that she had fought Damien, but every inch of her screamed fear. Who had he killed to make her like this? A friend? A boyfriend?

It didn't matter.

The girl's eyes fluttered open, and she stared at the ceiling for a moment. Then she seemed to remember what had happened, and shot into a sitting position. Her head whipped from side to side, and that was when she saw Juliet. Her eyes widened, taking in Juliet's appearance. Then the confusion clouded her face. Ah, yes. The Victorian dress did tend to give them that look, "Juliet."

The girl looked her in the eyes, cocking her head to the side.

"It's my name. And yours?"

Her voice shook, but at least she _could_ speak, "Grace. Grace Wood."

Juliet nodded, "A pleasure. Now, before you ask, _no_, I'm not like _him_, and I don't intend to be. Ever. Damien-he's the man who kidnapped you-is a vampire, which you seem to have figured out." Grace nodded slowly, "Right. He works for another vampire named Rowan, who works for a vampire as well. Don't ask me what his name is, I don't know. For some reason, they want you. Don't look at me like that, I can't answer your questions."

Grace looked at her hands, which were clenched into fists in the sheets, "Where are we?"

Juliet shrugged, "They don't tell me these things. Some hotel in a large city." Grace nodded slowly, her eyes still wide.

They sat in silence for a long time-Juliet had stopped counting the minutes after 15-and so both looked up sharply when the door opened again.

Juliet froze as fear rippled through her. Shit.

Damien held a bronze haired vampire by her throat-Paige. A third vampire-one Juliet didn't know-stood in the corner, crouched in a fighting stance, pale haired, watching every move. Rowan sat down next to Juliet, eyes guarded, body tense with anger.

At their head stood a tall, lanky vampire, dark in every aspect other than his skin. His eyes were solid, flat black, his hair the same tone. He was dressed in ebony, and he moved with a silent grace that told Juliet all she needed to know before he spoke.

This was their leader.

He was here for Grace.

And, in the end, Paige and Juliet would die.

**Tada!**


	4. Chapter Three

While Grace couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from the dark vampire, Juliet sure could. Her sharp green eyes flicked all over the room, trying to think of a way to escape. The door? She'd never make it. The window? Same. Kill them? Don't be stupid, Juliet!

There was no chance, then. Unless...Her eyes fell on Rowan, who was pointedly not looking at her. He simply watched his leader, eyes a dark burgundy. Her hand crept forward, slowly, and she tentatively wrapped her fingers around his, heart racing.

He looked at her in confusion, and then read the fear in her eyes. His hand grasped hers more firmly, drawing the eyes of his leader to them. He merely watched with open curiosity, as Juliet shied away from his gaze.

None too soon, he had turned his attention back to Grace, who remained where she was. "So." She flinched when he spoke. His voice was soft, but hard at the same time. Everyone could hear the power that he put behind it, "You're Grace, then." She nodded, slowly, every limb trembling in fear. He hadn't moved, but Grace was afraid. She knew how quickly a vampire could move, and she knew he could kill her in a second if he so desired.

Rowan cleared his throat purposefully, calling his leader's eyes back to him. "What?" He snapped, anger coloring his tone. The younger vampire bowed his head in submission, before he looked his leader in the eyes. The vampire tilted his head to the side, seeming to read read Rowan's face, and knowing exactly what he wanted to tell him. "Is that so, Rowan?" A split second later, he had his fingers curled around the vampire's chin, and held his gaze evenly. Juliet whimpered, without meaning to, and her eyes widened in panic at her mistake.

The dark vampire released Rowan, and grabbed her instead. He pulled her to her feet, and out of Rowan's grasp, so that she stood in front of him, chin in his tight grip. She flinched when she felt his cool breath on her ear, before he spoke, "I should kill you, for lying like you did. I should kill you for a number of things. But I think it will be far more fun watching _him_ try and figure out how to handle you." He released her, and shoved Juliet back at Rowan, who caught her with ease.

Damien moved as if on some invisible signal. He ripped Paige's head from her shoulders, dropping the vampire's body to the ground. Grace brought a hand to her mouth, and tried to turn her head away.

But _he_ wouldn't have it. _He_ grabbed her from behind, and forced her to watch as Damien lit her body on fire, to listen as her screams slowly faded, and to try not to scream in the same way. His cold arms held her still when she tried to fight, keeping her from turning away, burning the images in her mind forever

Juliet, on the other hand, screamed. Rowan had pulled her into his arms, and buried her face against his chest, hand rubbing her reassuringly on her back. She could feel the sobs wracking her body, and she could still hear Paige's screams echoing in her ears. He held her close, not letting her think for one second that she was alone in this.

Throughout this entire ordeal, the blond in the corner hadn't moved. But when she saw Paige's body burn, her eyes widened, and she quivered in fear.

Without moving, _he_ spoke to her, "Zaela, don't worry. I'm not upset with you." The unspoken "yet" hovered in the air, "Rowan, get out of here. Take your...pet," he sneered the word, "with you." Rowan nodded, pulled Juliet to her feet, and almost running from the room with her. "Damien, Zaela, go." The pair followed quickly after them, not pausing to question the order, "Now, what are we going to do with you?" He turned Grace so that she was facing him, and pulled her face up to look him in the eyes, "I could turn you-that's one way to know your power. Or I could have a little fun, first. Hm, decisions, decisions." His words had a hard, sarcastic edge to them-an edge that only served to infuriate the girl.

She opened her mouth, and the words came pouring out, most of them without her putting any thought into what she was saying, "What the _hell_ is wrong with you? You can't just go around killing people! Who the _hell_ do you think you are, barging in here and ruining what little happiness Juliet and I will ever have, seeing as _you_ think that I have some sort of _power_ that can help you, and you're intent on torturing her! I'm not going to stand for it! You have no right to kidnap me, and I sure as hell will not be helping you with _shit_!"

Grace didn't see him move-in fact, she didn't realize he _had_ moved until she was pinned against the wall, his hand on her throat, "Silly, stupid human. You really do have a death wish. I _happen_ to be the only thing protecting you from a hoard of vampires, who would gladly rip your soft, _human _throat out. And I believe you'll find that I _can_ go around killing people." His grip tightened. "You will also learn, in time, that you _do_ have power, and that you _will_ help me, or I will happily murder anyone you've ever loved."

She clawed desperately at his arm, to no avail. He simply held her there, her feet several inches off the ground, fighting for every breath, "I think you will also discover, dear Grace, that Juliet sees you only as a way out of our circles. She doesn't want vampires in her life. Hence her sudden attraction to Rowan, a vampire that she has never once shown any love towards. So forgive me if I don't spare her a second glance."

The vampire inhaled sharply, eyes flicking left and right. Someone had burned here. His fingers dug into the pine that was the floor, a growl slipping through his teeth. Two humans. Four vampires, not counting the dead one. Not more than an hour ago.

He growled again, quieter this time, eyes narrowing. His hands crept forward, as he pushed himself into a standing position, glancing around quickly. They would not return here, but he could hardly say the same for the Guard. If he didn't hurry, they'd come up here, probably at Aro's orders, to make sure he hadn't been murdered or something.

Wind blew through the open window, and Caius sighed, exhaling in a long gust, "I know you're there."

The smaller vampire moved slowly to his side, eyes shifting warily, "They're not here, then?"

Caius laughed, "How stupid do you think they are, Dora? Of _course_ they're not here!" His hand curled into a fist, and he fought the urge to throw her across the room.

She bowed her head, "Sorry." Her voice was small, submissive, as he moved forward, passing the scorch marks that were the only remains of a fire. The smell of fear was heavy in the air, and he knew that both humans had been terrified for their _pathetic_ lives. He sneered, teeth bared.

"Dora, tell Aro that I don't need _you_ to keep me safe. I'm more than capable of defending myself against an idiot in black." He snapped at her, eyes a burning red, "_Go_." She nodded swiftly, and swung out of the window. He heard her hit the ground hard, then start to run. Honestly, what _had_ Aro been thinking? Sending _her_ after him? Caius shook his head, long fingers running over everything, trying to understand what had happened here. If Silas had wanted the humans dead, he would have killed them. No, there was another reason.

It was obvious, for the first. Rowan Black. He must have taken one of them for his own, leaving the other to fend for herself against Silas.

So why had he taken her alive?

Within an instant, hundreds of possibilities ran through Caius' head. Most were bullshit, but that was to be expected. Vampires took humans for shit reasons.

It dawned upon him in one sudden flash. But he shook his head. That wasn't possible. Silas didn't have the resources, much less the incentive. He was a common criminal, not someone who needed many people to believe in him, all at once. So it was impossible.

Was it, though?

What if they had been wrong this entire, about what this rogue vampire wanted? About what he was trying to do?

One fist swung out, knocking a lamp from a table, and sending it through the wall. If he was right-and he was trying to believe that he wasn't-then they had to act.

Or everything they had built would be lost.

**Tada!**


End file.
